How Long Should a Bowl Last?

[thechristophershow]

I have what I'll call trouble and what others might call a blessing when smoking my pipes. Lately I've only been filling them halfway, and yet they still smoke for 45 minutes to an hour. If it's 2/3 full, it can go an hour and 15 minutes, even if the tobacco is drier than it should be.

Everyone says smoke slow, for several reasons. A lot of people here also say they finish in 30 to 45 minutes--and that's for full bowls! That doesn't sound slow to me. If I want to finish even half a bowl in 30 minutes, I would have to constantly puff; every breath I take would have to be a puff from my pipe.

If I go any faster than my current rate, the outside of the pipe gets hot, I get tongue bite, and the tobacco gurgles. And that's with goopy aromatics like Drew Estates' 7th Avenue Blonde, straight VAs in shag and broken-flake form (Kendal Gold and McClelland No. 27), burleys (Carter Hall, Prince Albert), English or Balkan blends (I don't know the difference, but Plum Pudding, John Bull Royal English, and Frog Morton's Cellar are my examples). You name it, I get these problems if I smoke faster than my current super-slow rate.

Thirty minutes to smoke a pipe sounds good. How can people smoke full pipes slowly for a cooler temperature and no gurgle and still be done in 30 minutes? I know I must be doing something wrong.

 

[sandollars]

Your times sound about the same as mine. I don't think you are doing anything wrong unless you aren't enjoying the experience...

 

[thechristophershow]

Your times sound about the same as mine. I don't think you are doing anything wrong unless you aren't enjoying the experience...

But do you smoke half bowls like I do? I do half bowls and it still takes me this long.

It's not that I'm not enjoying it--I definitely am--I just wish I could enjoy it for less time so my wife isn't left watching our two-year-old by herself for an hour at a time.

 

[winton]

The simple solution is to use a timer. When the bell goes off, put out your pipe and return to your family. That would be much easier for everyone involved. You could return to the partial pipe, the next time you wanted to smoke.

Every situation is different. My wife has breathing issues, so I smoke outside and take a shower immediately after I come back in the house.

 

[thechristophershow]

The simple solution is to use a timer. When the bell goes off, put out your pipe and return to your family. That would be much easier for everyone involved. You could return to the partial pipe, the next time you wanted to smoke.

Every situation is different. My wife has breathing issues, so I smoke outside and take a shower immediately after I come back in the house.

Well, how long can a half-smoked bowl go without being smoked again before causing the second session to taste bad? Twenty-four hours?

 

[sandollars]

Yes. I smoke half bowls, full bowls, big pipes, small pipes.

In the grand scheme of things, if you REALLY examine it, Pipe tobacco is very cheap on a per smoke basis. There is no rule or requirement to "Finish your dinner" . Also something to note is you can set it down and come back to it in several hours and it is still an enjoyable experience unlike a cigar or cigarette.

Set it down or dump it out when you have had enough. The main objective here is to enjoy the activity and experience.

 

[winton]

Well, how long can a half-smoked bowl go without being smoked again before causing the second session to taste bad? Twenty-four hours?

A cigar is best smoked in one sitting. It changes for the worse if it is relit. A pipe does not have this problem. There is no significant change if you let the pipe sit for an hour or day, or longer before you relight.

 

[thechristophershow]

Yes. I smoke half bowls, full bowls, big pipes, small pipes.

In the grand scheme of things, if you REALLY examine it, Pipe tobacco is very cheap on a per smoke basis. There is no rule or requirement to "Finish your dinner" . Also something to note is you can set it down and come back to it in several hours and it is still an enjoyable experience unlike a cigar or cigarette.

Set it down or dump it out when you have had enough. The main objective here is to enjoy the activity and experience.

Well, I'm trying to build a cake, really. Otherwise, yeah, I wouldn't worry about it. I hear cake improves flavor and smoking experience, so I'm trying to get to that point. I've read the forums here, though, where people say don't worry about cake. But it's hard to ignore the cake-building part of pipe smoking when those people also say the cake improves everything about pipe smoking. "It makes the experience so much better. But don't worry about." They don't make a good case for not worrying about it, haha.

 

[thechristophershow]

There is no significant change if you let the pipe sit for an hour or day, or longer before you relight.

Good to know! That helps, thanks!

 

[sandollars]

Well, I'm trying to build a cake, really. Otherwise, yeah, I wouldn't worry about it. I hear cake improves flavor and smoking experience, so I'm trying to get to that point. I've read the forums here, though, where people say don't worry about cake. But it's hard to ignore the cake-building part of pipe smoking when those people also say the cake improves everything about pipe smoking. "It makes the experience so much better. But don't worry about." They don't make a good case for not worrying about it, haha.

I keep all my pipes squeaky clean with no cake so you know which side of the camp I am on . It's all good though. Follow your heart! .

 

[pantsBoots]

A cigar is best smoked in one sitting. It changes for the worse if it is relit.

I will say Havanas are an exception to this rule - you can let them go out, cool down, knock off any grey ash and save for a day or 2 in a Ziploc in the freezer (or out in an air-conditioned room). I've done this many times (out of necessity, not by choice). The only ill effect is upon first lighting, it's a bit muddled until you get past the old char.

I have never had this experience with Dominicans, Nicaraguans and the like.

 

[lightxmyfire]

I also wonder about this. I very often have smokes that last 2 hours or more. I don’t smoke huge pipes by any means, I’m enjoying my experience, flavor is good, no bites, I don’t feel like I’m over packing or having issues keeping things lit, but based on reading the forums and other articles, instructions, etc.. I have thought “oh man, this seems long, everybody’s talking about that 45 min smoke.”

That being said I agree that if you’re enjoying it, you don’t feel like you’re struggling with anything, than it’s fine, at least that’s what I tell myself, ha!

I can also confirm that I’ve left whole bowls that I’ve smoked half of or more, for 24+ hours, re-lit and had no problem, great flavor stays lit! No issue! I’ve occasionally found that some bowls when they get to the bottom and start having issues staying lit, that leaving it until tomorrow can improve that problem.

When I first got back into pipe smoking after taking a many year break, I had neither the nicotine tolerance or the patience to finish a whole bowl in one sitting, and it became my routine for a long time to pack a whole bowl, smoke until I felt done, and then come back and finish it the next day or even two days later. I felt; I don’t know what the right word is, but maybe “off” fits or not self assured, reading the “how many bowls a day” threads, and seeing all the “I have maybe 5, 45 minute bowls a day!” And here I am with my hour + long half bowls thinking “I must be doing something wrong!” I think the key take away here is still if it’s working for you and you’re otherwise happy with your experience I wouldn’t worry about it!

 

[BROBS]

I wish my pipes lasted for over an hour.

 

[jaytex1969]

Buy a very small pipe and try it.

It sounds like your technique is good and resulting in longer sessions than you imagined.

Get a Missouri Meerschaum Tom Sawyer or similar for reference and go from there.

How large is the pipe you're using?

 

[olkofri]

Well, I'm trying to build a cake, really. Otherwise, yeah, I wouldn't worry about it. I hear cake improves flavor and smoking experience, so I'm trying to get to that point. I've read the forums here, though, where people say don't worry about cake. But it's hard to ignore the cake-building part of pipe smoking when those people also say the cake improves everything about pipe smoking. "It makes the experience so much better. But don't worry about." They don't make a good case for not worrying about it, haha.

Only things the cake does is reduce the bore, ghost the pipe, and make it look dirty as hell. It does nothing of what you've heard.

I too agonised about how to build the famous cake and was smoking half bowls. The constant relights and the lack of a tobacco 'cushion' seared my tongue every time. I finally had to ask: 'why in hell am I scorching my tongue in an effort to build a damn cake that is s'posed to preserve it??'

My pipes are all like this, and I have no issues with loss of flavour or experience:

 

[olkofri]

To answer your question: it depends. There are many factors beyond cadence: chamber dimensions, tobacco cut (ribbon burns faster than flake), how moist the tobacco is, ambient temperature and humidity, &c.

 

[fightnhampster]

A cigar is best smoked in one sitting. It changes for the worse if it is relit. A pipe does not have this problem. There is no significant change if you let the pipe sit for an hour or day, or longer before you relight.

If you are going to let it sit for a while I would slide a pipe cleaner all the way down the stem and into the bowl to soak up moisture.

 

[thechristophershow]

I also wonder about this. I very often have smokes that last 2 hours or more. I don’t smoke huge pipes by any means, I’m enjoying my experience, flavor is good, no bites, I don’t feel like I’m over packing or having issues keeping things lit, but based on reading the forums and other articles, instructions, etc.. I have thought “oh man, this seems long, everybody’s talking about that 45 min smoke.”

Thanks for the reassuring post!

 

[thechristophershow]

Buy a very small pipe and try it.

It sounds like your technique is good and resulting in longer sessions than you imagined.

Get a Missouri Meerschaum Tom Sawyer or similar for reference and go from there.

How large is the pipe you're using?

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Well, I'm using different sizes. A Brebbia Junior Noce is my smallest. It's about the size of a cob. Actually, no, my cob is the smallest.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I smoked a bowl of OGS this morning while driving. 1 hour, 45 minutes. Aside from a small bowl of very dry ribbon, not sure how to smoked a bowl in 30 minutes.

To answer OP question, you can leave a bowl of unfinished Virginia for his, even days. I would think aromatics may not perform as well but can't say for sure.